DARC offers equipment rentals to Essentials members, Extended Access members, and Organizational members. Equipment may be rented in one-week intervals. Members must wear a mask while on site at DARC.
Please review the Producing Membership and Rental Policy before renting equipment.
Before renting DARC equipment, the member must demonstrate to DARC technical staff that they can completely and safely operate said equipment. We regularly hold orientations and consultations for projects. For most Essentials equipment, we can advise ‘over the counter’ within the booking time frame. Workshops to obtain accreditation in the use of certain equipment are also available. More complete demos need to be booked ahead of time. A proficiency test is required for ‘multi box’ kits and must be booked at least a week before the rental period (see “Proficiency Tests” below). Please check your membership type for any other obligations
DARC is not allowed to rent equipment for non-artistic purposes. DARC is not allowed to rent equipment for non-artistic purposes. By requesting a rental the member confirms their production falls under independent and artistic creation.
DARC’s equipment and facilities are for the purpose of producing work that is: non-commercial, independent, and artistic in nature. Equipment and facilities may not be used for: commercial productions, content creation, contracts or promotional materials for not-for-profits with annual budgets over $1,000,000, broadcasters, political parties, news reports, or proselytization by religious groups.
DARC does not support making work with AI, and currently does not allow production support for projects created mostly using AI. Please note our equipment and facility rentals constitute a form of production assistance.
If a member is to be found using DARC resources for self-promotion (including content creation for online platforms) or commercial purposes, their membership will be suspended and they will no longer be in good standing with the centre.
Some equipment requires special instruction that may not be conductive to a workshop environment. Please schedule an orientation on any equipment you’re not fully familiar with, and especially the following: Eluvision Moviemaster screens, Rotolight Titan X2, ARRI L5-C light kit, Blackmagic streaming kit, Any ARRI Tunsten light, cinevaste slider bundle and the Sound Devices 833 field recorder.
A proficiency test is required for ‘multi box’ kits and other specialized equipment, and must be booked at least 1 week (5 business days) before the rental period. If you are not the camera operator on your project, the camera operator is still subject to a proficiency test.
Equipment that requires a proficiency test are as follows: ARRI Alexa SXT, Sony FX6, Sony PXW-FS7, Sony FX3, Dedo Turbo light kit with lightstream accessories, Jokerbug 400 HMI.
To book a proficiency test, please reach out to the Technical Manager. Should a member need to retake the test, we can reschedule in 24 hour increments.
All Members are required to pay for their rentals and equipment bookings in full prior to their use. Any necessary membership renewal fees and outstanding account balances must also be paid. We do not rent equipment or facilities on credit. If a member cannot pay online, we can process cash and card on site.
Prior notice of at least 2 full business days must be given for cancellation of a booking; otherwise, you will be charged for the full amount of the rental being canceled. For example, if you can no longer pick up at 5:00 pm on Friday, you need to let the tech department know by 5:00 pm on Wednesday to avoid charges and allow another member to use the gear. Accommodations will be made due to extenuating circumstances (e.g COVID-19 infections).
Bookings for equipment and facilities are made on a first-come-first-serve basis and only through DARC’s formal channels of booking: email, phone and the online booking system (launching in 2025). We won’t respond to booking inquiries via social media. All bookings are facilitated by the appropriate DARC staff member.
All equipment and post production bookings should be made at least 1 week (5 business days) in advance of the desired booking time. If you need to book on short notice (less than 2 days), please get in touch during working hours to inquire. We do not do same day/walk in rentals.
DARC currently loans equipment in 4 day or 7 day periods. 4 days (Friday-Tuesday) are charged at 1.5 days, and 7 days (Friday-Thursday) are charged at 4.5 days. Equipment can be rented for up to 4 weeks at a time. For longer periods please contact the technical department.
Once your booking is confirmed, please schedule your pickup times using the Calendly link sent via email. You will need to confirm the nature of your project and that the work is independent and artistic in nature. You can assign someone else to pick up your equipment; we reserve the right to check ID as needed.
Following the instructions from the tech department, please schedule your drop off times using the Calendly link sent via email. Please note Mondays are not an eligible return date due to limited staff on site. Please be prepared to wait while the technical staff check in your equipment.